What makes a tamale

It was created in Mesoamerica present-day Mexico and Central America. This is where the corn processing technique nixtamalization was developed. It's also the region where the agricultural method of milpa also known as the Three Sisters for the combination of squash, corn, and beans was invented. Both of these traditions are still in use. They go hand in hand in precolonial rituals for cooking. Nowadays, a mesh of many worlds represents what a cook will create.

Tamales are a daily meal in Mexico, right alongside tacos and tortas, part of the famous Mexican diet of Vitamin "T". Because tamales have been around for so long, touched by so many different cultures, there is a wide variety of styles and recipes from one region to the next. Don't be too intimidated by tamales. With the right planning—invite some friends or family over to help—many hands make light and enjoyable work.

If you are able to buy freshly-ground nixtamal, it is always worth it. Otherwise, Maseca is sold in most U. The filling for this tamal is chicken with salsa verde, a very basic green, cooked tomatillo salsa with onion, garlic, epazote, serrano chile, and cilantro.

It is a bit spicy but in general light. Because the filling is made with a salsa, it does not need to be served with a salsa. All good cooking is usually slow food. Take the time to make a really good filling and sauce, and whenever possible, use seasonal local ingredients. Your taste buds and body will thank you for cooking with intention. Gather the ingredients. Add the chicken breast, 1 piece of onion, and 1 clove of garlic to a pot. Cover with water and simmer on medium until chicken is cooked through, about 45 minutes.

Remove from heat, remove chicken to a plate or bowl, and allow to cool. Cut off the stem and the calyx of the serrano pepper. Remove the seeds and slice crosswise. Add the tomatillos, serrano chile slices, remaining onion, 3 cloves of garlic, epazote, and cilantro to a large pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower to medium heat and simmer until tomatillos are soft, about 20 minutes.

Drain, add ingredients to a blender , and blend to an even consistency. Shred the cooled chicken, and toss with green salsa. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use. In a large bowl, mix together the masa harina, baking powder, and salt. With an electric mixer, whip in the grapeseed oil as you pour it in gradually.

Do the same with 8 cups of the chicken stock. Continue whipping until the dough is light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. If it looks dry, add more chicken stock. Whipping aerates the dough to form a fluffy texture.

Your consistency should feel smooth, thick, and creamy, like ricotta. Taste for seasoning. In the Andes, humitas are made with ground fresh corn, rather than the usual masa harina or masarepa in some places , which are forms of dried cornmeal.

Tamales have been widely adopted in the United States, too. Around the beginning of the 20th century, the American-adapted "tamale pie" is what meat pies and casseroles made with a cornmeal crust and layered tamale fillings were called. The masa, or cornmeal dough, inside a tamale is prepared by mixing dried cornmeal with a broth usually left from cooking the meat in the filling , lard, and seasonings until it forms as a soft dough.

Masa harina is the most common cornmeal flour used to make tamales and also used to make corn tortillas. Masa harina is made from ground corn that has been treated with lime to remove the skin and hulls, made into a dough, then dried and ground into a fine meal. Masa harina has a distinctive flavor, not unlike hominy, as it is prepared with a similar process. The lard keeps the masa from becoming too dry and pasty.

The fillings range from simple to elaborate. In some countries, the masa is filled with a simple piece of chicken or pork. Most tamales have elaborate slow-cooked seasoned meat fillings usually chicken or pork , sometimes with vegetables potatoes, corn, peppers, or carrots , cheeses, dried fruits, and olives.

Tamales are most often wrapped in dried corn husks soaked in water to make them pliable or banana leaves. The wrapper is not eaten but imparts a certain flavor to the tamales when they are steamed. Tamales are steamed for about 30 minutes, depending on their size, or until the masa becomes firm and the filling is heated through. Many families in cultures from North to South America have a cherished tamale filling recipe, prepared by grandmothers and passed down through the generations.

Here are a few recipes to get you started:. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Rating: 5 stars. A few things for the beginner: it's better to boil the peppers any kind will do and all the flavorings for 30ish minutes, and then cook the meat in that broth.

Also, the water should cover the meat in the pan and it needs to be cooked until it is crumbly to the touch--this makes it easier and faster to shred by hand and eliminates any further meat preparation.

Depending on the meat I use my cook time varies between 4 hours to overnight. Two VIP things to note: masa is very bland, there is no substitute for lard! I use the leftover meat juice instead of broth for my masa, and still add lots of other spices. When you are making tamales the masa will dry out; just add a little meat juice to keep the consistency. It should spread like creamy peanut butter.

The corn husks should only measure inches across; larger ones can be torn to size. Place the meat filling along the edge and roll like a cigar. Also when steaming them, they need to be as close to standing upright as possible.

Good reference recipe, thanks! Read More. Most helpful critical review Chella. Rating: 3 stars. I just had to comment on this one because I am mexican and have been making helping make tamales since I was about 5 yrs old.

You'd be surprised how much a 5 yr old kid can do! We never used gloves to clean the chiles, just because it is so much faster when you don't. Of course, you are taking a huge risk with your eyes, but we all do it that way even still. We always boil onions and other spices with the chiles while they cook and add the onions to the blender too.

We use the leftover meat liquid for the masa and we add a little baking powder and salt. We also add chile sauce to the masa! Big improvment on flavor if you do. Our test for if the tamales were done has always been to remove one a bigger one, since they are less likely to be done and try to pull the husk off. If it comes off clean, they're done.

And sour cream? I'm not sure what it does. We've made beef, pork, chicken, chicken and cheese, chile and cheese and sweet tamales in my lifetime. For the sweet tamales, we mix raisins in the masa and the filling is a cream cheese mixture.

Pretty yummy! Reviews: Most Helpful. Rating: 4 stars. If you are going to take the time to make tamales, be sure to double or triple the recipe, the Tamales freeze well. You also want them to turn out perfectly. This is a good recipe but the instructions leave out a few important steps: 1. One of the biggest mistakes is not mixing the masa dough long enough; this causes the tamales to fall apart.

Position your corn husks with wide end toward you. You won't have to secure your Tamales with a toothpick or strip of corn husk, if folded properly. The directions for preparing the Masa are right on. It's a lot easier than you would expect.

To simplify the meat preparation I simply used boiled chicken with monterey jack or queso fresco cheese. The chile preparation is also easy. I added a bay leaf and oregano remove the bay leaf and add one teaspoon of lemon juice before you blend it.

Don't expect a great flavor. The chile is meant to be concentrated so it will taste horrible very woody and grainy. But when it steams with the masa and meat the end product is wonderful. Placing the masa in the husks is a challenge, be patient. Although, I didn't want to, I had to use extra husk strips to tie the tamales.

They kept seeping out in the steamer and would fall apart when I attempted to move them. The last thing you want is wet masa on the bottom of your steamer.

I also found the steaming to take ALOT longer.